USF Lawyer Magazine Fall 2023

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S A N F R A N C I S C O S C H O O L O F L AW • FA L L 2 0 2 3

Meet four USF Law alumni who bring clean power to the people | Page 16

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN As I write this letter, we wrap up an unusually busy summer, full of activity. We are preparing for a March 2024 visit from our accreditors, which involves considerable documenting, reporting, and evaluating of the law school’s administration and operations. In addition, in light of the Supreme Court’s June decision on race-conscious admissions, we are assessing our admissions practices so as to adhere to the law while remaining true to our mission and values. That all adds to the typical summer work of supporting our graduates as they study for the bar exam and interview for jobs, while we prepare, with excitement, to welcome our new students.

This academic year will be my final one serving as dean of the law school, and I am eagerly anticipating the joys and challenges of the coming months. It will be difficult to say goodbye to the role in June 2024, but I am looking forward to getting back to my teaching and research. Meanwhile, this issue of the magazine contains a story about some of the initiatives my team and I have implemented over the past five years.

Also in this issue, we shine a light on several of our exemplary alumni, including Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis ‘74. Chief Justice Theis’ career of service began during her time as a USF Law student, with an internship in the Marin County Public Defender’s Office. With her remarkable professional achievements and her ongoing commitment to leading with integrity, she serves as a role model for both aspiring lawyers and our entire community.

As proud as I am of our accomplished alumni on the bench, I am also proud of our USF Law graduates who have dedicated themselves to the cause of environmental law. From advising to advocating to litigating, Leuwam Tesfai ‘12, Lilly McKenna ‘14, Luisa Elkins ‘12, and Rick Umoff ‘12 each have their own way of working toward climate justice. This issue of the magazine describes how each approaches their work with passion and provides suggestions for how to join them in the effort to sustain our planet.

I hope you enjoy reading about your law school, your alumni peers, and your future colleagues. As always, I welcome your comments and questions, and I hope to see many of you this academic year.

All my best,

PAUL J. FITZGERALD, S.J. University President EILEEN CHIA-CHING FUNG Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs SUSAN FREIWALD Dean and Professor of Law AMY FLYNN Associate Dean for Academic Affairs STEPHANIE CARLOS Assistant Dean for Student Affairs LARA BAZELON Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship LEA WOOD Senior Director for Development SHELLI FYFE Editor DESIGNED BY USF Office of Marketing Communications

Susan Freiwald Dean and Professor of Law

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CONTENTS FALL • 202 3

DEPARTMENTS

2 IN BRIEF USF Becomes Home to Blockchain Law Center Wrongfully Convicted Man Freed Thao “Annie” Le ‘24 is One to Watch

8 FACULTY FOCUS Immigrant Workers’ Rights Advocate, Professor Maria Ontiveros, Retires After 33 Years, Professor Connie de la Vega Retires

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THE INHERITANCE OF INTEGRITY

ALUMNI NEWS

Mary Jane Theis ‘74 becomes USF Law’s highest-ranking jurist.

Class Notes A Gift to Touch the World Alumna Leads Externships Charge

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LET THERE BE LIGHT

A LEGACY OF TRANSFORMATION

Meet four alumni who bring power to the people.

Under Dean Freiwald’s leadership, the school has grown and innovated.

32 CLOSING ARGUMENT AI: The New Window to the Soul? By Yuki Cruse ‘15

ON THE COVER: Solar Power Station in Mountains.

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IN BRIEF

Celebrating the Class of 2023 On Saturday, May 20, the USF Law community came together to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2023. Family, friends, faculty, and staff gathered in St. Ignatius Church and honored the 143 JD, LLM, and MLST degree recipients.

The Hon. Lucy Haeran Koh, the first Korean American to serve on a federal appellate court, served as commencement speaker, and Brea Aguas ‘23 was chosen by fellow graduates to address attendees.

In more than a decade on the bench, Judge Koh has presided over nearly 300 trials and issued more than 3,000 written decisions.

Her caseload involves cybersecurity, intellectual property, antitrust, and other complex subjects, and has made her one of the most influential jurists in Silicon Valley.

In her address, Judge Koh inspired graduates by telling stories of USF Law alumni who have overcome significant obstacles, including Tatiana Lysenko ‘05, a Ukrainian gymnast and Olympic gold medalist; Marjorie Morris Scardino ‘75, a publishing company CEO; and 1918 graduate Chan Chung Wing, the first Chinese American to pass the California Bar Exam. Judge Koh reflected on each alum’s path to the legal profession, noting that “we rise to the occasion not by trying to be somebody else, but by relying on our own experiences and our own values when amazing chances or difficult choices come our way.”

Dean Freiwald encouraged graduates to pause in appreciation for all that they have achieved and reminded them that “we know you will use your talents and skills to accelerate positive change and to usher in a better world. And we will continue to root for you as you do.” n

“THE TRUTH NEVER DIES” Racial Justice Clinic Client Exonerated Leon Benson spent more than half his life life—25 years—in an Indiana state prison. Eleven years in solitary confinement.

This past spring, Benson’s first-degree murder conviction was thrown out by Marion County Superior Court Judge Shatrese M. Flowers after a joint reinvestigation by the University of San Francisco School of Law Racial Justice Clinic and the Conviction Integrity Unit of the Marion County (Ind.) Prosecutor’s Office revealed that evidence buried in the police file by the lead detective pointed to another man as the murderer.

“It was clear months ago that Leon Benson was factually innocent,” said Professor Lara Bazelon, director of the Racial Justice Clinic. “But because the legal process is very slow, it took another seven months to exonerate him. The wait was agonizing for everyone, especially Leon’s family. Leon was patient and calm throughout. He was always convinced that he would get justice.”

The investigation by Benson’s defense team, led by Bazelon and Assistant Professor Charlie Nelson Keever, a group of USF Law students, and the county Conviction Integrity Unit, revealed that conflicting testimony and buried evidence identified someone else in the 1998 execution-style shooting death of Kasey Schoen in Indianapolis.

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USF Becomes Home to Cutting Edge Blockchain Law Center When the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center became ensconced at USF in January, founder Professor Michele Neitz’s Spring 2023 class on Blockchain Technology and the Law already had a waitlist.

As the only law professor in San Francisco teaching blockchain law, Michele Neitz has evolved her desire to equip students and professionals with relevant blockchain information into a world-leading educational experience that goes far beyond the classroom. “There’s a lot of opportunity for students and lawyers to get in on the ground floor and be part of the formative stages of this nascent technology ecosystem. I want to not only provide classroom education but also to advance deeper community connections between students and major players in the blockchain law space,” said Neitz.

Neitz founded the Center in February 2022 emphasizing three key pillars of knowledge advancement through education, community building, and research.

“Michele’s vision to advance a leading academic center comes at the perfect time when many sectors of industry are engaging with blockchain technology, and

governments are simultaneously trying to set out policy and legislative frameworks that account for all stakeholder interests,” said Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Amy Flynn. “The Center works to show the ways blockchain technology can be useful in advancing policy and legal objectives that serve the public and advance socially impactful innovation.”

Neitz will continue to build out programming and content as the Center expands its mandate at USF. She is looking forward to engaging with the broader campus community and to the creation of an interdisciplinary learning lab focusing on the intersection of law and blockchain technology to tackle social impact issues.

Examples of socially beneficial use cases for blockchain technology include California’s recent embrace of blockchain for vital record delivery and Starling Lab’s use of blockchain to document historical records like the oral histories of Holocaust survivors and Ukrainian war crimes. “The lab will be the first of its kind,” said Neitz, “and we believe it will become a critical hub of activity at USF, as well as the Bay Area and globally.”

This is the third exoneration in two years for the students and professors working in USF’s Racial Justice Clinic. In March 2021, Yutico Briley was freed after being wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in New Orleans and being sentenced to 60 years in prison.

He served eight years.

In April 2022, the Racial Justice Clinic team helped free Joaquin Ciria 30 years after he was convicted of a San Francisco murder he did not commit.

Roxann Matthews ’22 worked on Benson’s case while she was a third-year law student and continued through the summer after she graduated, doing legal research, drafting briefs, and investigating and interviewing people of interest. Last spring break, she joined Bazelon, Nelson Keever, and another student in Indiana.

“We accomplished an incredible amount in the five days we spent on the ground, interviewing people, walking the scene, and talking through the case night and day,” Matthews said.

She also interviewed Benson and helped prep him for his initial interview with the district attorney. “Every time I spoke with him,

This is a hope shared by Dean Susan Freiwald, who adds that the “center contends with how to regulate the next generation of technological tools to ensure that they help society rather than perpetuate dysfunction and inequity. USF Law provides an ideal home for that study, with its practical focus on ethical lawyering that serves society.” n

I was struck by Leon’s integrity, warmth, and groundedness.

Of course, all of those experiences pale compared to the moment I learned he was getting out—finally,” Matthews said.

The Racial Justice Clinic took on Benson’s case in July 2021 because it had “all the hallmarks of a wrongful conviction,” Bazelon said. “The victim was white, the suspect was Black, no murder weapon was recovered, and no physical or forensic evidence connected Leon to the murder.”

Most troubling, Bazelon said, was that the case hinged on an identification of Benson made by a white stranger who was more than 150 feet away from the murder scene and in fear for her life.

Bazelon and Nelson Keever took a red-eye flight to Indiana to be there when Benson was freed.

Dressed all in white, his arms raised, he emerged to loud cheers from his family, attorneys, and friends who had gathered outside in the cold to welcome him, Bazelon said.

“Truth never dies,” Benson said. “It is only rediscovered.” n

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IN BRIEF

ONE TO WATCH: THAO “ANNIE” LE ’24 Thao “Annie” Le’s law school experiences have centered on advocating for survivors of domestic violence. Through a clerkship with Bay Area Legal Aid’s Domestic Violence Unit, an externship with Family Violence Appellate Project, a summer internship with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and a Spring 2024 judicial externship with the SF Unified Family Court, Le is gaining an insider’s understanding of the ways the law can be a tool for safety and empowerment of survivors.

The recipient of numerous USF alumni-funded scholarships, Le immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam as a teenager, and says her childhood experiences steered her toward law school and the goal of preventing gender-based abuse. She has served as co-chair of USF’s Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF), worked as a Moot Court case counsel, published an article in USF’s Law Review Forum, won Best Brief at the Advanced Moot Court Competition in 2022, and received the Honorable Mention for Exemplary Performance during the Intensive Advocacy Program.

Did you dream of becoming a lawyer as a kid?

Which class has challenged you the most?

No. My first courtroom experience was during my parents’ divorce, so it was hard to picture myself working in the legal field.

In addition, you can’t be what you can’t see. As a first generation college graduate, I did not meet any female lawyers until I started my undergraduate studies at UC Irvine. In my first quarter there, and partially because of the 2016 presidential election, I began attending legal events to try and make sense of the world and learn how social issues were connected, and eventually I decided to pursue law.

Appellate Advocacy was both challenging and empowering.

Before I took the class, I only knew how to cite existing law. I did not know how to question the court’s decisions or push the envelope. Professor Monalisa Vu ‘01 encouraged students to think creatively, read dissents, interpret texts, examine history, notice policy trends, etc. She set a high standard and wholeheartedly believed in us. Because of Appellate Advocacy, I completed my upper-level research and writing requirement, and one of the class’s guest speakers hired me for an appellate externship!

What is one of your most memorable experiences at USF?

What is the best way to de-stress as a law student?

I was shocked when I won Best Brief at the USF Advanced Moot Court Competition in 2022 (formerly known as the Advocate of the Year Competition). I’m thankful for Seaf Hartley ‘23 who completely revamped the competition to include workshops.

I grew as a writer and advocate in such a short period of time. Seaf now passes the torch to me to serve as the next Advanced Moot Court Competition director.

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Just keep swimming…swimming…swimming....Throughout my entire life, I’ve viewed swimming as a survival skill, both in case of emergency and as a routine for my mental health.

Since 1L year, I’ve trained with the USF Swim Club.

Legal work is endless, so scheduled swim practices hold me accountable to take pauses. I have to be 100% present, learn to breathe, drown out distractions, and make the most of every second. n

PRESS CLIPPINGS “Land use controls often lie with local governments, while counties, water districts, and the state are responsible for water management. Given how much is at stake, the players themselves may have a strong incentive to work together.”

Professor Alice Kaswan told Courthouse News Service, discussing the reasons land use controls could make it difficult to get government entities to collaborate on recovery and future preparedness.

“The United States has implemented a border patrol mobile app, and the government is insisting that you have to make an appointment through the app before you can be processed [at the border]. There will be a lottery for 1,000 spots per day, but there are many more people each day seeking asylum at the border.”

Professor Bill Ong Hing said in a televised interview with Fox 2 News on the end of Title 42.

“The idea of color blindness has a kind of moral appeal. The problem is that race still matters in our lives. People are still being harmed. What I call color insight [in my book] invites us to have that more nuanced ability to be able to see how race still matters.”

Professor Rhonda Magee in a Think podcast episode called “How to Approach Racial Injustices With Mindfulness.”

“Progressives must do with state courts what the right has already done with conservative judges: Elevate liberal jurists who have principles, guts, and vision.”

Professor Lara Bazelon wrote in a piece she co-authored titled “The Overlooked Solution to the Radical Supreme Court,” published in New York Magazine.

“We need to push past the “all or nothing” framing of the gun debate. We need to recognize and learn from the fact that other nations, including other wealthy, democratic nations, are able to survive and thrive without a culture that elevates guns as a political symbol.”

Associate Professor Tiffany Li wrote in an opinion column published on MSNBC titled “A Beleaguered Asian Community Begins a New Year in Pain.”

“We saw this case not only as an opportunity to get justice for an individual injured horse but also to put forward the question of who has legal rights, of who is a legal person, and who ought to be before the law with the capacity to file a lawsuit.”

Associate Professor Matthew Liebman discussed the case of Justice v. Vercher with ABA Journal.

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Professor Rhonda Magee Helms Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics As a young lawyer feeling the stress of competing client and senior attorneys’ demands, Professor Rhonda Magee recalls getting calls on a Thursday night with new deadlines that would upend her weekend. Add the fact she was one of only a handful of women and the only Black lawyer in the law office, plus the demands of a relationship.

In this storm’s eye, Magee found mindfulness essential in prioritizing obligations, acknowledging when to demand more time or seek assistance. The meditative practice, which she continues twice daily, helped her optimize legal knowledge and professional training with “self-mastery and groundedness, and my own power to influence the quality of my experience and relationships with colleagues and clients.”

As the director of USF’s Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics, Professor Magee hopes to shift perceptions of mindfulness to underscore the ethics at its core. A full-time professor at USF Law for 24 years, teaching courses from racial justice to contemplative lawyering, Magee says mindfulness was a novel concept when she arrived on campus. The idea “is often presented as a personal spa-like practice to calm the mind.” The relevance of pausing,

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taking time to deepen plans of action, can be countercultural amidst pressures of quick action in an adversarial mode. However, Magee sees synergy in how Jesuit values can “create aligned opportunities to deepen what has been traditionally missing” from the curriculum of law. She was instrumental in embedding “socially engaged mindfulness” in students’ orientation courses, and she plans to expand such offerings.

In her 2019 book, The Inner Work of Racial Justice, Magee describes her journey from a childhood in a racially segregated subsidized housing community in 1960s North Carolina to a nationally sought speaker on mindfulness— e.g., she recently lectured at Harvard Medical School on mindfulness and ethics in cultivating just communities and practices.

Magee’s impact is appreciated among the USF Law community. Alumna Marisa Rodriguez ‘08 first encountered mindfulness in a professional context as a student in Magee’s class on Tort law. While in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, then later with the San Francisco city administration, Rodriguez invited Magee to help facilitate productive conversations amid emotionally sensitive situations, as in 2016 when several San Francisco Police Department officers were accused of exchanging racist, homophobic texts, then later as city agencies were asked by Mayor London Breed to develop racial equity plans. “She was phenomenal,” Rodriguez recalls. In both instances, Magee set the stage for peaceful discussions. In one session, she created a “healing circle” in a large room where participants engaged without a table separating them, and paused for a moment of meditation, appreciation, and gratitude so each person could share unique life experiences and expertise. “What a privilege to come together in this respectful space; it changes the trajectory of dialogue,” Rodriguez explains. “Who knew something as metaphysical as mindfulness can bring so much to a process.” n

USF Welcomes Afghan Visiting Scholar

Following the collapse of the Afghani government in August 2021, Mohammed Amin Mamnoon managed to leave the country in December 2022 and came to USF as a visiting scholar. He says today, “The situation in Afghanistan is growing worse and worse.” The military takeover of the country by the Taliban has resulted in a ban on education and employment for girls and women, intimidation of human rights defenders and journalists, and persecution of former government staff.

Mamnoon was a senior legal specialist in the office of the president of Afghanistan, working on policies related to private investment in the country. He is an expert on juvenile justice and international human rights law and has researched and written on women’s rights and juvenile rights, among other subjects.

During a presentation to USF Law students this past spring, Mamnoon discussed the collapsed Afghan economy, food shortages, and the particularly dire situation for children and women because of the lack of government protections for them. But he says “I don’t lose hope for my country. I expect one day to be able to return to my country and for higher education for my daughter.”

Several USF Law faculty members advocated for USF to host an Afghan scholar, as some other universities have.

The Jesuit Foundation, established by a gift from the USF Jesuit Community, supports Mamnoon’s visit, along with an anonymous donor. n

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APRIL 2023 We’re thankful for alumni like Josh Binder ‘01, one of Billboard’s 2023 top music lawyers and a founding partner with Rothenberg, Mohr & Binder, for meeting and inspiring our #USFLaw #futurelawyers. Binder spoke about his path to a successful entertainment law career and offered guidance. #mentorship

APRIL 2023 #USFLaw and USF’s Master in Migration Studies Program cohosted the African Migration Conference, focused on the Black migrant community in the Bay Area.

Speakers discussed issues like the cultural diversity within Black migrant communities, the treatment of Black migrants in detention, and the often overlooked presence of Black migrants within the Bay Area. Photo credit: Kirkman Ridd ‘23 #immigrationlaw

APRIL 2023 Nothing better than when engaged #alumni, talented #futurelawyers, and dedicated #faculty come together! The Internet and Intellectual Property Justice Clinic recently hosted a networking event, a chance to meet, mingle, and reconnect. #intellectualpropertylaw

FEBRUARY 2023

JULY 2023

MARCH 2023

Congratulations to alumnus and adjunct professor Thomas Onda ‘90, who was recognized by the Bar Association of San Francisco with the In-House Counsel Lifetime Achievement Award. Professor Onda serves as chief counsel, Global Intellectual Property, Brands and Marketing, at Levi Strauss & Co.

Our #USFLaw community came together for the Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics’ inaugural event On ‘How to Really Do the Right Thing’: Re-Imagining Practices for Professionalism and Ethics in Troubled Times. Speakers offered reflections on the role of mindfulness in helping legal professionals provide zealous and principled advocacy.

We are grateful to the incomparable Justice Teri L. Jackson, Presiding Justice of the First Appellate District, Division Five, for sharing her wisdom and inspiring words with our 7 Habits of Highly Successful Lawyers class. Justice Jackson told our #USFLaw future lawyers “I’m not running a marathon—I’m running a relay race. And I am ready to hand the baton off to you and run beside you for support.”

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IN BRIEF

Immigrant Workers’ Rights Advocate, Professor Maria Ontiveros, Retires This past spring, as labor and employment law Professor Maria Linda Ontiveros considered retirement, she pointed to her Mexican grandparents, Houston-born parents, and icons including farmworker advocates Dolores Huerta and Monica Ramirez as seminal influences leading her to hone in on immigrant workers’ rights. Longtime co-director of USF’s Work Law and Justice Program and co–author of best-selling casebook Employment Discrimination Law: Cases and Materials on Equality in the Workplace, Ontiveros recalled how the nascent concepts of critical race theory and intersectionality resonated while completing her Harvard JD in 1984.

“With my background, I wanted to focus on Mexican women; explore how critical race feminism and intersectionality theory could help that population.” She counts role modeling for her Latina students as among the most fulfilling rewards of her 21-year tenure at USF. “At graduations they’ll come up to me with their mothers, grandmothers, and say, ‘See, I really do have a Latina professor!’ ” As a professor, she thrived on encouraging them to dream, showing them what they’re capable of, and how to achieve their goals.

San Francisco Deputy City Attorney Carmen Leon, a 2006 alumna, credits Ontiveros for her pursuit of labor law. A deep dive into the Hoffman Plastic Compounds Inc. v. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision for her written work requirement helped Leon clinch her first job upon graduation with the NLRB, where she stayed for 15 years. Leon appreciated Ontiveros’ approachability, both in class and

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as La Raza Student Association (now Latinx Law Student Association) faculty adviser.

“For somebody so incredibly smart to sit down and gift you a couple minutes of her time…. From recommendation letters for scholarships, intern applications, to a research assistantship, I just appreciated her so much,” Leon recalls. “All I had to do was ask and she was always, always willing.”

2018 graduate Cassie Peabody describes “transformative” opportunities Ontiveros opened for her in the immigrant labor space. “Everything I’ve done in my legal career came from meeting her,” says Peabody, legal director of a watchdog nonprofit working to improve working conditions for nonunion janitors. “She cares so much. She gets excited when people want to do things and she helps them.”

Off hours, Ontiveros has helped build a soccer program to engage kids so they are more likely to graduate high school, and advocated for medical services around semi-rural Half Moon Bay where she lives. An artist who enjoyed mixed media and currently paints watercolors, she looks forward to more time for urban sketching, golfing, possibly training for a triathlon, and playing with her 2-year-old granddaughter.

Ontiveros expressed gratitude for USF’s support of her passion for teaching, research, and writing to protect the marginalized. Her greatest joy has come when they intersect, “seeing students go out and do good work that changes the world.” n

After 33 Years, Professor Connie de la Vega Retires In 1990, after a decade working as a legal aid attorney, Professor Connie de la Vega pivoted to higher education and joined the USF Law faculty. Originally, she worked in USF’s former Civil Litigation Clinic but says that “slowly the students steered me toward human rights work.”

She launched the Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic at USF in 2006, honoring the California Supreme Court justice who inspired her passion for international law while studying at UC Berkeley. In the years since, countless USF Law students have traveled to New York and Geneva to participate in Commission on the Status of Women and Human Rights Council meetings as representatives of Human Rights Advocates, a nonprofit de la Vega co-founded. A UN presentation by Cherie Corona ‘23 focused on the right of migrant children not to be mandatorily detained under prisonlike conditions in profit-driven facilities. She calls the experience “fulfilling and unforgettable” and said she is grateful to Professor de la Vega “for her tireless encouragement, support, and guidance.”

Originally from Mexico, de la Vega immigrated to the U.S. to attend Scripps College, where she earned a B.A. in international relations.

She has written and co-authored numerous books and book chapters, including Dictionary of International Human Rights, The American Legal System for Foreign Lawyers, International Human Rights Law: An Introduction, and A Practical Guide to Using International Human Rights and Criminal Law Procedures (co-authored with her former USF Law student, Alen Mirza).

“ [She] has fostered a whole generation of students with USF values through the people-centered social justice lens they’re bringing.

She leaves a deep and broad legacy across the world.”

De la Vega has submitted amicus briefs detailing international standards to U.S. courts for juvenile sentencing and affirmative action cases. In Roper v. Simmons, de la Vega was lead counsel on the amicus brief using international and English law to support the Missouri Supreme Court finding that execution of juvenile offenders violates the Eighth Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court referred to the international authority cited in the amicus brief.

A sports lover since high school who ran track and played soccer, basketball, and softball, she maintains regular swimming and gym workouts, plus hour-long walks with her partner in their Oakland neighborhood. They share her 10-year-old cat, Hailey, adopted from a student who could no longer keep her.

Alumnus Peter Micek ‘11 remembers de la Vega affectionately as a “great mother hen” leading the International Human Rights Clinic, and as an “energizer bunny” in Geneva with all-day meetings followed by informal gatherings with contacts. He says the Clinic experience was invaluable in grooming students to become legislative advocates. “We got firsthand knowledge of the United Nations system, the politicking, the wordsmithing that takes place.”

Now the UN policy manager at Access Now, a nonprofit advocating for digital civil rights relating to issues such as internet shut-downs and online censorship, Micek believes that on the international legal scene “USF Law punches above its weight in large part due to Connie’s leadership.” He adds that de la Vega “has fostered a whole generation of students with USF values through the people-centered social justice lens they’re bringing.

She leaves a deep and broad legacy across the world.” n

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IN BRIEF FOCUS FACULTY

Faculty Achievements Through their publishing, speaking, presentations, and media, USF School of Law professors address topical, global issues. This past year, they have individually and collectively won numerous awards, lectured at domestic and international symposia, and interviewed extensively with media outlets.

Here are some recent highlights.

Associate Professor Adam Abelkop Co-edited and published the book Chemical Risk Governance, the capstone volume to the Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law series.

Professor Lara Bazelon Authored a book chapter in Systemic Racism: Defining Terms and Evaluating Evidence as well as two scholarly articles, “History in the Making: The University of San Francisco Racial Justice Clinic” and “Providing Assistance and Promoting Justice,” in California Legal History. Her New York Magazine article “David Simon Made Baltimore Detectives Famous. Now Their Cases Are Falling Apart. Has Reality Caught Up to the Murder Police?” was included in the 2023 anthology, Evidence of Things Seen.

Adjunct Professor Thomas Brandi Nominated for the seventh time for Trial Lawyer of the Year by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. Named one of the Top Ten Lawyers in Northern California

by Super Lawyers.

Associate Professor Jonathan Chu Selected by the Class of 2023 as recipient of the annual John Adler Distinguished Professor Award.

Professor Bill Ong Hing Published the book Humanizing Immigration: How to Transform Our Racist and Unjust System and authored two scholarly articles, “Resisting Employer Sanctions: A Strategy for Civil Disobedience” in Berkeley La Raza Law Journal and “Turn Asylum on its Head and Presume Eligibility” in USF Law Review. Received the Mentorship Award from Pangea Legal Services and lectured and interviewed extensively on immigration law issues.

Associate Professor Juan Carlos Ibarra Served as a panelist during the SALT Teaching Conference and presented on developing a law school curriculum that addresses the connection between property law and racial inequality.

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Professor Alice Kaswan Authored the book chapter “Climate Justice” in Global Climate Change and U.S. Law. Continues to serve as a Member Scholar for the Center for Progressive Reform (CPR) and regularly contributes scholarly essays published by CPR, including the recent “Delivering Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants to Communities in Need.” Served as a panelist in a session titled “West Virginia v EPA: Impacts on Climate Action and Regulation” for the Alameda County Bar Association.

Professor Eugene Kim Awarded USF’s Center for Instruction and Technology Full-Time Faculty Award for Innovation.

Adjunct Professor Carol Langford Voted into office as president of the Association of Disciplinary Defense Counsel.

Professor Daniel Lathrope Published the latest editions of his casebooks Fundamentals of Federal Income Taxation (with Stephen A. Lind and Heather M. Field, 20th ed.), Selected Federal Taxation Statutes and Regulations (2024 ed.), Selected Sections; United States International Taxation (2023 ed.), and Federal Income Taxation of Individuals in a Nutshell (with Kevin M. Yamamoto and John K. McNulty, 9th ed.)

Professor Richard Leo Placed #31 out of all U.S. law professors for the number of scholarly articles downloaded from Social Science Research Network (SSRN). Authored and co-authored numerous articles including “The Decision to Confess Falsely Twenty-Five Years Later: Windows and Walls in Psychological and Legal Scholarship” in The Denver University Law Review; “Theorizing Failed Prosecutions” in Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology; and “Interrogation By Proxy: The Growing Role of Lay and Undercover Interrogators in Eliciting Criminal Confessions” in Criminal Law Bulletin.

Associate Professor Matthew Liebman Published the article “Animal Plaintiffs” in Minnesota Law Review. Served as a presenter during the Animal Law Review’s 12th Annual Symposium at Lewis & Clark in a talk titled: “Litigating Horse Personhood: Justice v. Vercher,” as well as at the Animals and the Anthropocene: A Legal Scholarship Symposium at George Washington University Law School.

Professor Rhonda Magee Served as one of the featured speakers during an annual series of events hosted by the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State as well as a presenter during the Wisdom 2.0 conference. Interviewed with media outlets on the role of mindfulness in racial justice.

Assistant Professor Suzanne Mawhinney Presented as part of a panel during the Northern California Association of Law Libraries Spring Institute in a session titled “Managing Research Expectations (Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Legal Research.)”

Visiting Professor Michele Neitz Conducted a blockchain law training for the National Association of Attorneys General. Over 100 AGs, deputies, and their staff attended. Served as a panelist on issues related to blockchain law at numerous events, including the Chapman Law Review Symposium.

Adjunct Professor Davis G. Yee Won the 2023 Advocacy Writing Competition Award for his essay titled “Teaching Written Advocacy in the Digital Age” and presented his article during the 2023 Educating Advocacy Teachers Conference.

Professor Connie de la Vega Published the article “Provisions for Withdrawing from Human Rights Treaties” in ILSA Journal of International and Comparative Law. Served as a panelist during the California Lawyers Association Annual Meeting discussing UN bodies that address the right to freedom of expression.

Welcome Professor Duane Rudolph This past summer, Duane Rudolph joined the USF Law faculty, teaching Remedies and Torts.

Born and raised in Zimbabwe, he obtained his BA in French and Portuguese at the University of Zimbabwe, then an MA and PhD in Romance Studies, with a minor in gay and lesbian studies, from Cornell University, followed by a JD from Harvard University.

Rudolph is quick to express gratitude for the kindness and thoughtfulness of mentors who opened doors internationally and who remain inspirations in his professional journey. Lessons from his mother and grandmother to keep others’ burdens in mind and to remember self-care, continue as lifelong guiding lights. He cites these as examples of why USF’s commitment to service, education, and human dignity resonated deeply with him. “I am drawn to the meanings of cura personalis in my own

life and in the lives of those it is my calling to serve.”

The germ of delving into law began to sprout while teaching French in Hawaii when a colleague noted that Rudolph’s questions were increasingly about the law. Rudolph recalled being “struck by the collapse of the rule of law” in Zimbabwe, the packing of courts, which injured that nation’s economy. “It brought home the impact of a legal system; when undermined, people suffer.”

His academic work has focused on the rights of women, religious minorities, those with disabilities, and organized labor in American torts and remedies law, favoring “the inherent human dignity of marginalized and disenfranchised” litigants.

“We’re all in it together, whoever we are, wherever we are,” Rudolph observes.

“We’re very similar despite the many barriers we build to shield ourselves from each other.” n

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T H E I N H E R I TA N C E O F

Integrity Mary Jane Theis becomes USF Law’s highest-ranking jurist BY

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s a child, Mary Jane Theis ’74 would feel a thrill whenever she ascended the steps of the Illinois State Capitol.

Taller than the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., the domed building in Springfield was at once familiar and awe-inspiring: It was her dad’s workplace, but it was also a place where she sensed that history was happening.

Her father, Representative Ken Wendt, was a member of the Illinois General Assembly from 1952 to 1962, and she recalls, “The big issue then was civil rights, and even as a child I remember learning that it was a place where the law could right wrongs.”

She didn’t imagine that decades later, on Nov. 14, 2022, she would be sworn in as chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court less than half a mile away.

Though she may not have envisioned herself as head of the entire judicial system of the state of Illinois, she did know from a young age that she would be involved with the judiciary in some capacity. By the time Representative Wendt was appointed to the Cook County bench when she

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was in high school, his daughter’s fascination with visiting his workplace had sharpened into something more tangible: a goal. “Seeing my father preside over his courtroom, I watched the law in action.

And I knew what my life’s purpose would be.”

Chief Justice Theis was born and raised in Chicago, as was her father before her, and that’s far from the only similarity in their lives’ paths.

Both attended Jesuit universities (he at Marquette, she at Loyola University Chicago), both went on to law school (he at John Marshall Law at the University of Chicago, she at USF), and both deeply felt a call to service. “The same values animated our lives,” Chief Justice Theis says.

“Those were Jesuit values.”

Those values were also what brought her to USF Law. Having followed “a cute boy with curly red hair” (that would be John Theis ’73, her husband of 50-plus years) to California, Chief Justice Theis deemed USF “Loyola by the Bay” and immediately felt at home on the Hilltop. “The intellectual rigor, the call to serve…all these things felt so familiar to me.” What was a surprise, though, was how law school worked.

CHIEF JUSTICE MARY JANE THEIS IN THE ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT’S CHICAGO COURTROOM, JUNE 2023.

“AS A PU B LI C D E FE N D E R , I WAS I N CO U RT E V E R Y D AY, P R A C T I C I N G E V E R Y D AY. I C A M E T O A P P R E C I AT E T H E I N T I M AC Y O F T H E LAW—REPRESENTING SOMEONE WHO IS SO DEPENDENT UPON YOU IS POWERFUL .”

“I expected to memorize cases and learn facts.

But what I realized is that law school would teach me how to think.” She remembers the moment the law clicked for her: sitting in Corporations, a class in which the subject wasn’t interesting on its own, but benefited by being taught by Prof. James Cox. “He made the subject come alive, and all of a sudden I could see the law as an organic whole, comprised of all these very important ideas that fit together, these principles that are applicable across the board.” She connects that moment with her work today: As a review justice, she has to be a generalist. Knowing how to read a case,

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how to think about a precedent, how to apply the written law to the flesh-and-blood people who are the ones ultimately affected by a ruling. All these abilities came as the result of an “aha” moment on Fulton Street.

They’re abilities that have served her well.

“I trust her implicitly,” said former colleague and friend of 40 years, retired Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman. “Chief Justice Theis is always well-prepared, insightful, deliberate…if I ever read an opinion of hers that I didn’t agree with, I would go back and reread the entire case to see if there was something I missed.”

But Chief Justice Theis’ legal mind wasn’t forged in an ivory tower. Her dedication to the scholarly aspect of the law was balanced by work in the trenches—even before she graduated. During her first two years at USF Law, the Bay Area legal community had been left reeling after infamous incidents known as the San Quentin Six and the Marin County Massacre, during which multiple people were killed or seriously injured, including a judge, a district attorney, and several prison guards. At the onset of the resulting criminal trial, the Marin County Public Defender’s Office reached out to USF asking for accomplished 3Ls to help ease their load. Chief Justice Theis answered the call. “So I was practicing law from the time I was a 3L,” she says. “And what I remember from that time was that when the local legal community was suffering, USF stood up.”

She took the skills she honed in that Marin County office when she moved back to her beloved Chicago and practiced as an assistant public defender in Cook County.

“As a public defender, I was in court every day, practicing every day. I came to appreciate the intimacy of the law— representing someone who is so dependent upon you is powerful.” When she began a judicial career that’s now in its fifth decade—serving as an associate judge, a circuit court judge, an appellate court judge, and then as a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Chief Justice Theis made sure to remember that the law is, at its most fundamental, created by and for people.

“Judges are given the opportunity to change people’s lives in dramatic ways, but only in relation to how much the public trusts the judiciary,” she says. She goes on to assert that the judiciary has an obligation to heal what she calls “the gap of trust” wherever it exists, through innovation of the system or community outreach.

It’s a big part of the role she plays now. As the chief justice, she presides over every court in Illinois, which means making policy and setting precedent. The way she rules hearkens back to how she saw her father preside, especially when he served as a judge in the Narcotics Division of the Criminal Courts.

“I’d go to his courtroom and see the actual impact of what he was doing—he was an early adopter of rehabilitation, not incarceration, for drug addicts, because he saw them as people,” she says.

It’s no surprise, then, that the cases that most frustrate her as Illinois’ top jurist are ones in which “the lawyers just talk to each other and forget to include the court.

We’re the ones making the decisions that affect the

people in the case.” Conversely, her most rewarding cases are those that have an unsettled area of the law to decide: That’s where there’s work to be done, and where she can be of the most service.

Although Chief Justice Theis acknowledges that it’s hard to build a system that works for everyone, looking for solutions to problems both legal and administrative is her favorite part of the job.

It’s one she has no plans to leave anytime soon.

“There’s too much to think about—I’m not retiring!”

Her old friend Justice Garman has one lament about her own retirement: “That I didn’t get to serve with Mary Jane on the bench as chief justice.”

When she’s not busy helming the giant ship that is the Illinois justice system, Chief Justice Theis is adhering to the same values she always has. Family comes first, and though John Theis’ curly red hair is now white, they remain one another’s biggest cheerleader. Their two children live just miles from them in Chicago with their own kids, and when asked to answer a Proust questionnaire’s query about her “perfect happiness,” she references a recent family trip. “We took our children and all of our grandchildren to Tuscany, we ranged from 75 years to 4 years old, we ate gelato, and the kids jumped in the pool, and when I think of golden moments, I cannot think of anything that would bring me more joy than that week in Italy.”

But after that perfect moment of hers? Shortly after returning to the United States, Chief Justice Theis was in her chambers, back to work, being of service. n

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Meet four USF Law alumni who bring clean power to the people Rick Umoff, Luisa Elkins, Lilly McKenna, and Leuwam Tesfai have a lot in common. They’re all graduates of USF School of Law. They all live in the Bay Area. They all work to make clean energy available and affordable.

They just do it in different ways.

By Evan Elliot

Rick Umoff ’12 goes to bat for clean energy. As senior director and counsel at the Solar Energy Industries Association, he works to make policies that enable the solar industry to grow.

“Say you’re a company that puts solar on people’s rooftops. You’re SunPower or Sunrun. My job is to make sure that your customers are fairly compensated for the energy that their solar panels contribute to the power grid,” Umoff says. “If you’re a customer and you get a fair rate for solar power, then you’re more likely to install solar panels on your roof.”

In addition to promoting solar-friendly policies, he defends the solar industry against challenges from gas companies, coal companies, utility companies—“from anyone who has a stake in the status quo,” he says. He fights at the federal level and at the state level, in the legislature and in the courts.

During the Obama administration, Umoff represented the solar industry before the EPA and led the solar industry’s effort to decarbonize the country’s electric sector under the Clean Air Act. In Sacramento he worked to help pass SB 100, California’s law to eliminate emissions from the electric grid and to power the state with 100 percent clean energy by 2045.

His job entails teamwork. “I write legislation. I direct lobbyists. I spend a lot of time with the California Public Utilities Commission and at the California Energy Commission—litigation, policy work. I work with ratepayer advocacy groups and environmental groups. I work with wind companies, battery-storage companies, electric-vehicle companies to think about how together we can advance policies that support clean energy and clean air. I work with community choice aggregators, the local power providers trying to make electricity cleaner, more affordable, more equitable.”

All told, says Umoff, “I do this work to protect the natural world but also to advocate for people who don’t have a place at the table. Climate change has a major equity component to it, on a global scale. While I work in the private sector, I also work for the public interest.”

As this issue of the magazine went to print, Rick Umoff transitioned to a new role within the renewable energy sector.

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Lilly McKenna ’14 keeps her clients in business. In her role as of-counsel attorney in the energy development group of Stoel Rives LLP in San Francisco, she helps clients comply with state energy regulations and advocate for policy improvements.

“We represent renewable energy developers, clean transportation providers, power-delivery companies, and large power consumers,” she says. “Most of my work advising clients is before the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates how power is procured and sold within the state of California.”

McKenna serves four stakeholders: her clients, her clients’ customers, the government, and Mother Earth.

Recently, she secured an energy rate that will enable one of her clients to build electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. “This rate will mitigate some of the significant costs that EV charging companies face as they install new infrastructure,” she says.

Because her client’s EV charging stations will make charging more accessible, drivers will have an increased incentive to buy electric vehicles, McKenna says. If those drivers can plug in at affordable prices, even better.

“We negotiated an energy rate that EV charging stations pay to the power company. This rate is affordable for customers but also feasible for the charging stations, so it’s sustainable.”

McKenna adds that public charging stations make clean energy equitable, because they serve EV drivers who may not have the space or the funds to install charging stations in their homes.

“I do this work for two reasons,” she says. “One, this work is critical to our daily lives, even though we don’t think about it. When we flip the light switch, we want the lights to actually turn on. Second, I think it moves us toward a better place in the world. We want to make sure the power that turns on that light is doing good for our community — that it’s sustainable, that it’s affordable, and that it’s reliable. The icing on the cake is that this energy community is small and collegial, and I really enjoy the people I get to work with day in and day out, even when we’re across the table.”

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“We want to make sure the power that turns on that light is doing good for our community— that it’s sustainable, that it’s affordable, and that it’s reliable.”

Luisa Elkins ’12 guides her company toward compliance with energy laws and regulations. She is director of compliance and regulatory counsel at SB Energy, a company headquartered in the Bay Area that builds clean-energy projects across the United States.

“The renewable energy space has a lot of rules and regulations,” Elkins says. “They come at every level: local, state, federal. It takes a lot of work to keep up with those laws and to comply with those laws. That’s what I do.”

Elkins is an energy attorney because “I want to take care of our planet, mainly,” she says. “But I’m also concerned about people— about justice and fairness.”

In her last job as senior deputy city attorney overseeing energy matters for San Jose, she helped launch the community choice aggregation program. “The people of San Jose now own their power, literally. They can choose to buy their power from their city instead of from Pacific Gas & Electric,” Elkins says. “Then, during the COVID lockdown, I worked on utility bill forbearance, helping low-income people pay their energy bills.”

Before she moved to the Bay Area in 2007, Elkins was an attorney in Colombia. “I practiced for four years and I was actually in the oil industry in Colombia, but I didn’t want to do that. I knew I wanted to do environmental law.”

Elkins moved to California, learned English, took the LSAT, and applied to USF School of Law. “My husband went to USF for his MBA. He encouraged me to apply to USF School of Law. I also went to the School of Management, so I’m a USF JD/MBA.” Her advice to USF Law alumni who are thinking about environmental law: “Inform yourself. Talk to as many people as you can, just to understand the field. Tap into the alumni network. USF has a very strong alumni network.”

Elkins says this is an exciting time to join the clean energy field.

“It’s growing! Just last year, the federal government pledged to invest a trillion dollars in renewable energy in the next decade.

“We have an opportunity, but also we have an obligation. I believe that climate change is an existential threat to humanity, and the only way we’re going to tackle it is through collective action.”

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Leuwam Tesfai ’12 keeps the lights on. As deputy executive director for energy and climate policy at the California Public Utilities Commission, she leads a staff of more than 200 policy analysts and engineers “who create staff proposals and provide technical analysis and policy recommendations on energy and climate issues for our commissioners and administrative law judges,” she says.

“I think of our mission as a North Star with four points: reliability or keeping the lights on, affordability for customers, the safety of our energy system, and investing in our energy system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet our climate goals.”

California’s shift to renewable energy can clean the air, boost the economy, and serve justice all at the same time, Tesfai says. “Clean energy infrastructure brings jobs to thousands of workers in California, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, many who are people of color, live in areas highly impacted by pollution from energy production and transportation due to historic practices of redlining.

Our move to cleaner resources and transportation electrification reduces the pollution burden on these communities while creating new jobs.”

For California to reach its climate goals, “it’s not just about buying more clean electricity. It’s also about inspiring customers to make their homes more energy efficient and to change their vehicles from fossil fuel to electric,” Tesfai says. “In order to succeed, we need to develop energy programs that reach all people in California, and given California is so diverse, we need to have a workforce in this space that is just as diverse as the state of California.”

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“...we need to have a workforce in this space that is just as diverse as the state of California.”

Tesfai knows the need for diversity. “My parents came here from Ethiopia and Eritrea during the war.

English isn’t my first language. My experience is actually very reflective of many people who live in California, where more than 40 percent of the people speak a language other than English at home.”

Like Luisa Elkins, Tesfai says now is a great time to join the renewable energy field. “Recent climate legislation has created new positions in state government. We are working on offshore wind, on geothermal energy, on energy storage and electric vehicles as well as the transmission and distribution infrastructure to make it all work.“ When she joined the state government more than 10 years ago, “there was maybe one job posting a month in clean energy,” Tesfai says. “Right now we have dozens of job postings. Many data and analytical skills are transferable from other sectors to energy and climate work. So I would say, just jump in. Join the California Public Utilities Commission, or join one of our sister agencies like the Energy Commission or the Air Resources Board.

It’s a pivotal time to join state government and work toward this critical climate mission.” n

Ask Alice Rick Umoff, Luisa Elkins, Lilly McKenna, and Leuwam Tesfai all cite Alice Kaswan as an influence and inspiration. Professor Kaswan teaches environmental law at USF and co-chairs USF’s One Earth Initiative, a working group that seeks to integrate environmental sustainability and justice into all aspects of the university’s identity.

Kaswan is an expert on climate change and on environmental justice.

“One of the joys of teaching is seeing your students go out in the world and make a difference,” Kaswan says. “Rick, Luisa, Lilly, and Leuwam embody our mission.

James Ralph comes to mind, too. He was California’s point person for climate policy in D.C. and is now an energy and climate attorney with the U.S. Department of Energy. As they’ve walked forward, all five of these alumni have looked back: They’re members of our Environmental Law Student and Alumni Society and offer priceless counseling to current law students.”

Join ELSAS The Environmental Law Student and Alumni Society (ELSAS) brings together students, alumni, and faculty interested in environmental, land use, energy, water, and natural resources law. ELSAS fosters professional development for students and alumni through networking and educational events. Student members produce events; alumni members benefit from invitations to events, job postings offered by ELSAS members, and opportunities to mentor students. To learn more about ELSAS, contact Prof. Alice Kaswan at kaswan@usfca.edu.

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A LEGACY OF TRANSFORMATION Under Dean Susan Freiwald’s leadership, the school has grown and innovated Written by Riley Roberts | Illustrations by Abigail Dahl

In June 2024, when Susan Freiwald returns to the faculty after six years as dean of the University of San Francisco School of Law, she will leave the institution—and its students—on a firmer foundation than the day she stepped into office. “Susan took the helm as dean during a tumultuous time for the law school,” said Katie Moran ‘16, an alumna of USF Law and co-director of the Academic and Bar Exam Success program. “And she really turned the ship around.” At least in part, Dean Freiwald credits her time in the classroom with instilling in her the student-centered ethos that she brings to her work every day.

She notes that the role of dean has many constituencies, but the law school truly belongs to the students and the alumni.

“Coming from 20 years on the faculty has guided my leadership and perspective,” said Freiwald. “We’ve been here 100-plus years, we have this glorious history of producing practice-ready lawyers who know how to serve their communities and their clients, and we make a promise to them that we’re going to get them over the bar and into fulfilling jobs that put their legal skills and training to the best use.” Renewing this promise has been the law school’s top priority. Today, students are experiencing the difference—and feeling the excitement—as a result of significant innovations and investment across several areas.

RAISING THE BAR

Over the past six years, students have benefited from a comprehensive, top-to-bottom revamp of USF Law’s bar preparation program. From getting the right team in place, to meeting with instructors, sitting down with recent alumni, expanding and adding rigor to existing courses, and spearheading major curricular reforms, Freiwald has implemented an all-hands-on-deck, all-of-the-above strategy.

A vital step was launching the Academic and Bar Exam Success program, or ABES. Where many law schools rely on private bar exam preparation programs and instructors, Freiwald redesigned ABES to provide exceptionally rigorous and well-rounded support for every USF graduate who intends to sit for the bar exam.

“We treat the students as if they’re big law associates: We tutor them, mentor them, grade them, feed them, put on simulated bar exams, and do everything we can to set them up for success,” said Jonathan Chu, a 23-year veteran of legal academia and co-director of ABES who noted that USF students match the faculty’s passion and commitment with their own. “They’re very motivated. When I get here at nine o’clock in the morning on the very first day of bar prep, the library is already full.”

At the center of each programmatic improvement and decision-making process is a newly data-driven approach aimed at continually refining the curriculum and setting graduates up for success—along with an overriding emphasis on finding the most effective ways to serve USF Law’s diverse and highly driven student body.

“The law school is very focused, at a cultural level, on building community,” said Freiwald. “The registrar knows

your name, the dean of students is ready to meet with you anytime, and we have lots of mentoring from students and alumni who want to give back. If I had a nickel for every time an alum asked me ‘what can I do, how can I help?’....

We are a small community made up of people who care for each other.”

NEW CENTERS & PROGRAMS

In addition to alumni who give their time, share their expertise, and open their professional networks to students, the USF Law community has supported the school with a great deal more than nickels. From expanding USF’s Racial Justice Clinic by creating two staff attorney positions as part of a landmark partnership with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, to funding bar prep resources, generous donors who are alumni and friends are stepping forward to help propel the law school’s programming and reputation.

Four years ago, Freiwald secured a gift totaling $6.1 million from an anonymous benefactor to establish a new Justice for Animals Program, which created an endowed Chair in Animal Law, and allowed the law school to recruit renowned animal rights litigator Matthew Liebman. Freiwald has also been successfully raising funds for the construction of a new space in the library that will house the evolving International Human Rights and Immigration Clinics—and, together with her team, has brought two new centers to campus, each focused on a cutting-edge area of law: the Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics, which teaches research-based mindfulness practices to students and lawyers, and the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center, the first of its kind in the nation.

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“We’re bringing leaders from the industry, experts from government, real power players in the ecosystem to campus to meet with our students,” said Visiting Professor Michele Neitz, founding director of the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center. “Students have been really eager to learn about this technology, and a lot of them really do come at this from a social good angle because that’s just who USF students are.”

By putting on events, providing training sessions for California leaders and policymakers, and conducting research on the implications of blockchain from urban development to climate action to privacy, the Center holds potential to become a differentiator that attracts students while enriching the USF Law experience.

“The Center is not just about getting students jobs, it’s also thinking about the right way to regulate this new technology that avoids the mistakes of the past,” said Freiwald. “We can contribute to the development of ethical legal frameworks that incorporate central Jesuit values, which include collaboration rather than unbridled competition, care for the environment, and care for each other.”

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION & HANDS-ON LEARNING

Just as foundational as USF’s deep-seated Jesuit values is the law school’s longtime dedication to experiential learning, enabling

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students to build practical skills, and helping to connect them with the right job opportunities after graduation. Freiwald has renewed focus on these critical priorities and, under her leadership, USF Law has expanded its mentorship program, launched new guided inhouse externships, and secured the financial support necessary to hire a visiting professor of practice.

“We’ve been going back to USF’s core values, devoting time to practical legal education that students really need to succeed,” said USF Law alumna and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Amy Flynn ‘04. “It goes way beyond what people mean when they talk about traditional lawyering skills. What we’re really trying to do is to make sure USF Law students become lifelong learners, and that they have the mindset to succeed and to overcome adversity.”

Taking advantage of its proximity to San Francisco’s thriving legal community and deep well of world-class legal talent, the law school routinely draws a wide array of practitioners, jurists, and experts to campus. The revamped curriculum involves more opportunities for practicing lawyers to impart their knowledge and professional skills to students.

“Our adjunct professors are lawyers or even judges who take time from their busy schedules to teach, mentor, and assess our students,” said Freiwald. “Many of them are USF Law alumni who draw upon their real-world experience to train our students to be excellent lawyers and critical thinkers.”

“ We can contribute to the development of ethical legal frameworks that incorporate central Jesuit values, which include collaboration rather than unbridled competition, care for the environment, and care for each other.”

CAREER SERVICES

USF Law is committed to helping students and recent graduates navigate a tumultuous legal job market—a task now entrusted to a Career Services Office that Freiwald has revamped and reinvigorated.

“The Career Services team are our students’ biggest cheerleaders and supporters, working tirelessly to help connect them with the right opportunities,” said Flynn. “And I think students themselves are excited because the environment is positive and the support is palpable.”

It’s common for similar offices at other universities to hold open houses or office hours, perhaps once a week or on an otherwise limited basis. At USF Law, the lights are on, the doors are open, and Career Services counselors are available to meet with students on a full-time basis—and then some.

“I know every single one of our counselors has made calls or heard from students after hours, and we’ve all worked weekends, evenings, and over winter break to make things better for each one of our students,” said Adjunct Professor Karren Shorofsky, who has served as director of the Office of Career Services for well over a year. “We have a diverse and extraordinary student body, and the key is to really see and hear those students in all their uniqueness.

Their stories are so powerful, and we’re there to help them find that power—and just be a resource for them in any way we can.”

With newly converted workspaces for students, a speaker series that helps connect applicants with jobs or internships, and a highly personalized and team-based structure, Career Services has never been better positioned to serve the USF Law community. Along the

way, the law school’s engaged and energized alumni have become the office’s greatest asset.

“We have an extraordinary alumni mentor program that’s run in conjunction with Alumni Relations, and it provides every single student with the chance to opt in for an alumni mentor every year, said Shorofsky. “Our goal is to have each student feel like they have at least one alum that they can connect with. That student-alumni connection is really powerful, and I think it’s one of the best things about USF.” With the law school’s foundations stabilized, its community supportively engaged, its campus home to a diverse and growing array of differentiated programs and clinics, and its student enrollment on the rise, there’s no question that this is an exciting time to be at USF Law. After six years as dean, Freiwald is eager to return to the classroom.

She looks forward to resuming research in her fast-changing field of privacy and internet law, having enough alone time to read and write, and—most of all—resuming her work directly with USF Law students.

“As a professor, I take a lot of pride and pleasure in seeing students grow and develop into lawyers. Law school provides lifelong tools,” said Freiwald. “Helping them to move from not knowing or even confused to actually ‘getting it’—and then watching them graduate, and keep in touch, and succeed personally and professionally, each in their own way—it’s just incredibly rewarding.” n

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ALUMNI NEWS CLASS NOTES ’74

’85

The Hon. Bryan F. Foster (retired) joined Judicate West, a provider of private dispute resolution services. Judge Foster is based in the Santa Ana office.

Doug Mark, a partner with Mark Music & Media Law, was named a top music lawyer for 2023

by The Hollywood Reporter.

’75

The Hon. David Rubin was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One. He has served as a judge with the San Diego County Superior Court since 2007.

Dr. Jeanne Powell, a published poet, held readings at venues across the Bay Area, including the Museum of African Diaspora and the Petaluma Poetry Walk.

’77

The Hon. John Ing retired after 16 years as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge.

’79

Eric N. Hamburg produced three films last year, Watergate: Blueprint for a Scandal; Nuclear, a documentary by Oliver Stone; and Darryl Jones: In the Blood, a documentary that he also directed.

’82

Susan Clair Lee, a Maryland state senator, was named Maryland’s first Asian American secretary of state.

’86

’88

Stephanie Sheridan joined Benesch as chair of the firm’s Retail & E-Commerce Group as well as San Francisco partner-in-charge.

’89

Sheryl Bratton was named county counsel for Napa County.

Susan Byron was awarded the 2023 Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida. The award was presented at the Florida Supreme Court.

Laura Malkofsky joined Foran Glennon as a partner in the firm’s newly established San Jose and San Francisco offices.

Anne Marie Schubert joined Verogen Inc. as strategic advisor of Governmental Affairs.

’90

Barbara Moser’s boutique family law firm, Kaye-MoserHierbaum-Ford LLP, was honored by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the 100 largest womenowned businesses in the Bay Area.

The firm also includes alumni Partners Vanessa Hierbaum ‘96 and Laurie Ford ’08 and Of Counsel Darrick Chase ’90.

’92

Harvey J. Anderson joined Marquette University’s Board of Trustees. He recently retired after serving as strategic advisor for HP Inc., where he had previously served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary.

Scott Edward Cole formed Cole & Van Note in 2021. The firm now prosecutes data breach class actions in more than a dozen states.

’93

Michele Liu Baillie joined Boston intellectual property firm Sunstein LLP as of counsel. She is a past president of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts and a member of the association’s emeritus board.

Chinh H. Pham, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig, LLP’s Venture Capital and Emerging Technology Group and president of the Boston Bar Association, was named to Get Konnected!'s list of Boston’s 50 Most Influential Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

’94

Eric Newman was recently appointed chief operating officer of BOXX Insurance, a global cyber insurance specialist.

’95

Andrew Filler, a partner and general counsel of Sherpa Technology Group, joined the board of South 8 Technologies, the San Diego cleantech company.

UPCOMING EVENTS Please save the dates and join us at upcoming School of Law events. Our website, usfca.edu/law, is updated on an ongoing basis with information about community events. We hope to see you soon!

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SWEARING-IN CEREMONY DECEMBER 1, 2023

LAW REVIEW SYMPOSIUM JANUARY 26, 2024

St. Ignatius Church

USF School of Law

HOLIDAY MIXER DECEMBER 6, 2023

WATER LAW SYMPOSIUM FEBRUARY 2024

Le Colonial, San Francisco

USF School of Law

USF SCHOOL OF LAW

BLOCKCHAIN LAW CENTER'S SOCIAL IMPACT SUMMIT FEBRUARY 2024 USF School of Law

Sylvia Luke was sworn in as Hawaii’s lieutenant governor in December 2022. She has served in the Hawaii State Legislature since 1998.

’97

Jason Altieri joined Scale LLP as a partner in the firm’s Corporate and Securities and Fintech Practice Groups.

Derek Ridgway joined Rimon as a partner in the firm’s San Francisco and Menlo Park offices.

Andrew Sommer joined labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips as a partner in the Los Angeles office.

A Gift to Touch the World Chair emeritus of the USF Board of Trustees and alumnus Stephen Hamill ’78 and wife, Janice, have pledged $1 million to the University of San Francisco School of Law. The committed and philanthropic family has contributed to the School of Law for nearly 40 years, including creating the Hamill Family Chair of Law and Social Psychology and the annual Hamill Family Lecture. Their recent gift supports the USF School of Law Justice Center Facility Fund, establishes a School of Law Visiting Professor of Practice Fund, and contributes to capital enhancements.

It’s personal When Hamill looks back at his initial experience with the School of Law, he remembers evening classes and working full-time as he had a young family.

Attending the School of Law was tremendously beneficial for him, and ultimately it would become the decision that transformed his life.

“It’s personal. It changed the trajectory of my career and my life, just by gaining that knowledge that was provided there,” said Hamill. “It didn’t just open up windows, but doors of opportunity. You’re in a better place.”

After Hamill graduated, he wanted to maintain the relationship with the School of Law. Both Janice and Stephen wanted to give, and gave what they could. These days, they are major donors to the university.

Stewards of the law school Though Hamill has served on the University’s Board of Trustees for nine years, four of them as chair, his philanthropic focus has always been the School of Law.

“It started with giving to the clinics then to scholarships and to faculty and staff positions. My focus will be where the School of Law has priorities and how I can help accomplish its objectives and goals.

We want to give where we can help the school get to where it needs to go,” said Hamill.

The Hamills' most recent pledge of $1 million will support Zief Law Library renovations, which will move law clinics from Kendrick Hall into the library. The gift will also help fund a visiting professor, and the remainder of the funds will be used for capital enhancement to support facilities.

“Steve and Janice’s generous support will take the law school to the next level by helping us house our groundbreaking clinics in a state-of-the-art Justice Center in Zief Law Library. The Visiting Professor of Practice, jointly funded with a gift from another generous supporter, will add depth to our curriculum and enhance our graduates’ skills with additional courses in corporate and securities law,” said Dean Susan Freiwald.

Whether it be the curriculum, social justice, or providing opportunities for students to serve actual clients, Hamill is most excited to be investing in a place that emphasizes a legal education with moral integrity.

“I’m excited about the emphasis not only on great lawyers but developing great human beings, and furthering their clients to benefit the larger society,” said Hamill. “That’s the difference that really attracts us to the School of Law. It creates a vibrant place, ready to make the world a better place.” 

USFCA.EDU/LAW

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’99

Michelle Passero was reappointed to the State Board of Food and Agriculture, where she has served since 2022. Passero has been director of Climate and Nature-Based Solutions and senior policy advisor at the Nature Conservancy since 2008.

’00

The Hon. Katherine Hansen was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a judge in the Santa Cruz County Superior Court. Hansen has served as a commissioner at the Santa Cruz County Superior Court since 2022.

’01

Erika M. Barbara has been elevated to principal with Jackson Lewis PC. She is based in the firm’s Sacramento office and represents public and private employers in labor and employment law matters.

Josh Binder, a partner with Rothenberg, Mohr & Binder LLP, was named one of 2023’s top music lawyers by Billboard.

’02

The Hon. Eugene Gogerman was appointed presiding judge of the San Francisco district office of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board in December 2022.

Cyrus Johnson relocated to Dallas, Texas, and expanded his practice, focused on complex corporate, business, and investment matters.

’03

The Hon. Douglas Rodgers was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a judge in the Tulare County Superior Court.

’04

Aaron Crews was promoted to executive vice president, chief product and innovation officer at UnitedLex, a data and professional services company for the legal field.

The Hon. Justin Glenn-Leistikow was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a judge in the Orange County Superior Court.

The Hon. Ian Rivamonte was appointed by Gov. Newsom to serve as a judge in the Monterey County Superior Court.

Jordanna Thigpen was appointed

by Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye (Ret.) as an attorney representative and member of the Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee for the Judicial Council of California.

’05

Shabnam Malek joined the cannabis company 1906 as chief legal officer. Malek is co-founder of the National Cannabis Bar Association and previously served as a partner with Branch & Branch LLP.

’07

Ifeoma Ajunwa, a Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law, published the book The Quantified Worker: Law and Technology in the Modern Workplace.

Ketul Patel was elevated to partner with Fox Rothschild LLP in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Andrew Salenger joined Gordon, Rees, Scully, Mansukhani as senior counsel.

ALUMNA LEADS EXTERNSHIPS CHARGE As a USF Law student, Allison Wang ‘05 externed in Judge Anne Bouliane’s chambers at the San Francisco Superior Court. She calls the experience “the best part of law school” that eventually helped her land a federal clerkship. “As a judicial extern, you get a perspective that you can’t learn in law school. You see how judges assess cases and how decisions are made.” It provided invaluable lessons that she believes made her a better and more empathetic lawyer.

In January of this year, Professor Wang returned to USF Law as an associate professor and director of the Externships Program. Given her personal experience and career spent guiding law students in a variety of roles (she previously led a pro bono program, taught legal research and writing, and served as clinical director at other institutions), it’s no surprise that she has an ambitious agenda for USF’s Externships Program.

In addition to continuing to grow the in-house counsel externships she jointly introduced last year with Lorenzo Robleto ‘14, Wang wants to expand judicial externships because “they are critically important in giving law students the practical tools they need to become successful lawyers.”

This summer, the number of students participating in judicial internships and externships is higher than it has been in seven years.

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She also has plans to extend the international summer externships program to offer students opportunities to work in gaming, sports, and entertainment law, and has recently joined the university’s globalization initiative in an effort to tap into the wider community network.

Wang says that many alumni she meets talk about returning to campus after many years, reflecting on their own law school years, and proactively wanting to support students through externships. She adds that USF Law students stand head and shoulders above others. “Time and again, our students receive compliments for their practical skills and writing ability.

They also compliment their level of professionalism and overall communication skills. It’s wonderful to have our students be so highly regarded.” 

“ I admire the ways our alumni remain engaged and connected with the law school and with each other. For example, last fall, the Class of 1980 informally gathered at a classmate’s home, and while reminiscing about their law school days, many felt inspired to personally contribute to a class gift. I am profoundly appreciative of these efforts on behalf of the school and our students.” dean susan freiwald

Corey F. Steady was elevated to partner with Sheppard Mullin.

He is a member of the Tax Practice Group and is based in the Orange County office.

’15

Willie Mincey joined Littler as an associate attorney.

’10

Matthew Adler was elevated to counsel at Faegre Drinker in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Brian Schnarr, a partner with Hanson Bridgett LLP, was recognized by Lawdragon in their inaugural Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide, a listing of top attorneys “who will define where the legal profession of our country goes.”

’11

Devin Kinyon was awarded the USF Law 2023 Hon. Ira A. Brown Adjunct Faculty Award.

Allen Kuo was elevated to deputy general counsel of Pivot Bio Inc., a company focused on reshaping the way modern agriculture applies nitrogen to crops. Kuo leads a legal department and also serves as the company’s corporate secretary.

Heidi Urness, chair of McGlinchey Stafford’s Cannabis Practice Group, was selected for the 2023 Cannabis Editorial Board by Law360.

’12

Leslie A. Fales joined McGlinchey Stafford as of counsel in the firm’s Enterprise Litigation and Investigations Practice Group.

Edward (Edd) Gaus has been elevated to partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. He works in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Phong-Chau Nguyen, a partner with Lieff Cabraser LLP, was recognized by Lawdragon in their inaugural Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide, a listing of top attorneys.

’13

Philip J. Laird recently joined the California Privacy Protection Agency as general counsel.

’14

Shauna Madison joined National Center for Lesbian Rights as director of People, Culture, and Equity.

Everett Monroe served as a panelist during USF’s 3D Symposium in a session called “Lessons From the Sandbox: Insights Into the Possibilities and Limitations of Unstructured Teaching.”

Ian O’Banion has been elevated to partner with Nixon Peabody.

He works in the firm’s Real Estate, Finance, and Community Development practice team.

Rahman Popal, owner of The Law Firm for Tenant Rights Inc., published an article in Plaintiff magazine titled “Establishing Bad-Faith Landlord Harassment.”

Jack Sanford, a personal injury attorney with Abbey, Weitzenberg, Warren & Emery, was recognized with the top 40 under 40 award from the North Bay Business Journal.

Ashley Oddo transitioned to the role of general counsel for the Arizona Department of Corrections.

Kelsey Quist has been elevated to partner with Rutan & Tucker in the firm’s Orange County office.

’18

Michael J. Choi was named to the 2023 Northern California Rising Stars® list in the area of Products Liability. Choi is an associate with Tucker Ellis LLP in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Keani A. Christian joined Goldberg Segalla as an associate attorney in the firm’s Employment and Labor and Toxic Tort Groups in Manhattan.

Tim Love started a new position as marketing and brand partnershipsFootball (NIL) at Creative Artists Agency.

’19

Jennifer Sta.Ana was honored by the ABA as one of the 2023 winners of the On The Rise— Top 40 Young Lawyers Award.

Nicholas Syren joined Allen, Glaessner, Hazelwood & Werth, LLP as an associate attorney in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Calla Yee was elected partner at Kilpatrick Townsend in the firm’s San Francisco office on the Trademark and Copyright team.

She was recognized with a 2023 Top 40 Under 40 Award from The San Francisco Business Times.

Sarah Estephan joined Lewis Brisbois in the firm’s Orange County office, working in the Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team.

’16

Garrick Chan joined Fisher Phillips as an associate in the San Francisco office.

’20 ’21

Justin Tavaf started a new position as associate attorney at Korey Richardson LLP.

Tiara Quintana joined Fenwick & West as an associate in the firm’s San Francisco office.

Maria Zavaleta was appointed to the board of directors of the Alameda-Contra Costa Trial Lawyers' Association (ACCTLA).

’17

’22

Jonathan Reed Kathrein recently joined RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) as senior counsel for real estate.

Yesenia Sandoval joined Purcell Stowell PC as an associate attorney.

Samantha Botros joined Hanson Bridgett LLP as an associate in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

Julie Pollock joined Berger Montague PC as an associate in the firm’s new San Francisco office.

Pollack practices in the Antitrust Department.

USFCA.EDU/LAW

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“ I want to be an advocate not just for my family, but for the community. With my unconventional background and humble beginnings, I bring a different perspective that the law really needs.” katiuska pimentel

Creating a Path for Others The road to graduating law school for Katiuska Pimentel ’23 was filled with financial hardships and family losses, and that has fueled her commitment to use her USF law degree to support others.

In 2010, Pimentel came to the U.S. alone as a 15-year-old, leaving her parents in Peru. She enrolled in high school in Novato, where she lived with her sister, brother, and nieces, and worked as a dishwasher and server. Having overstayed her visa, she faced the challenge of paying for college as an undocumented immigrant, but she secured a scholarship to UC Santa Cruz, majoring in politics and legal studies.

As an undergraduate, Pimentel worked for the Santa Cruz Public Defender’s office. One case involved an undocumented man who was arrested for driving too slowly in the rain on the winding Santa Cruz roads. Thanks to the public defender, the man’s case was dismissed.

“I felt so empowered seeing the public defender advocate for someone else,” Pimentel said. “I want to be an advocate not just for my family, but for the community. With my unconventional background and humble beginnings, I bring a different perspective that the law really needs.”

WHY USF LAW?

Pimentel was drawn to USF School of Law because of its hands-on learning opportunities, including law clinics, and its support for firstgeneration lawyers.

And she was impressed by the Academic Support Program (ASP), which helps students develop skills to enhance their academic readiness and performance with a two-week

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summer program, exam rehearsals, and tutoring.

ASP is also known for the supportive community it creates for students.

In July 2019, Pimentel was participating in the ASP orientation when tragedy struck. Her family was at the Gilroy Garlic Festival when a man opened fire on the crowd, killing her 13-year-old niece and two other people, as well as injuring 17 others. With the support of the ASP co-directors, she made the decision to defer law school for a year. They helped her postpone her scholarships and stayed in touch until she re-joined ASP the following summer.

POWER OF KNOWING

Pimentel raised money for a memorial to honor the Gilroy victims, while also becoming a top student.

“Kati is a force to be reckoned with. She’s got the right skills and the heart that you can’t teach.

She embodies the essence of USF’s mission and the heart of ASP,” said Assistant Professor Heidi Ho ’97, co-director of ASP. As a recent graduate, Pimentel is interested in pursuing a career in intellectual property or privacy law. And she wants to help the immigrant community and create a pipeline for other undocumented students.

“Law allows you to have the tools to fight injustice and the power of knowing—knowing your rights, the rights of others, what steps you can take if you feel someone’s taken advantage of you,” Pimentel said. “My community doesn’t have those tools, but I hope that my going to law school will give a voice to more people and inspire more first-generation students to take this route, too.” 

STAY CONNECTED We would love to know where your degree has taken you, and share with you the latest news and alumni activities at USF. usfca.edu/law/alumni

In Memoriam The Hon. Thomas J. Dandurand ’60, April 2023 Arthur Lewis Margolis ’73 May 2023 James Parton III ‘77 June 2023 Patrick J. Byrnes ‘79 June 2023 Fred Ross ’80 November 2022 Barbara Anne Tetzlaff ‘80 March 2023 Perry Litchfield ‘81 June 2023

USF launched me on my career as a class action lawyer representing defrauded investors and victims of antitrust violations. Cy-près gifts from such cases enable the law school to prepare the next generation of advocates in complex commercial litigation.

EVERY GIFT COUNTS. MAKE YOURS TODAY. usfca.edu/law/mag

SOLOMON B. CERA MANAGING PARTNER, CERA LLP, ATTORNEYS AT LAW

(415) 422-5457

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USF SCHOOL OF LAW

AI: The New Window to the Soul?

By Yuki Cruse ‘15 Artificial intelligence (AI) has undeniably revolutionized various industries, fundamentally changing our world. AI combines computer science and robust datasets to develop computer systems capable of performing tasks and making decisions that typically require human intelligence.

Various industries have rapidly adopted AI, and you’ve likely encountered some form of AI in your daily life. AI is being used in healthcare to help diagnose illnesses, by the transportation industry to make autonomous vehicles, and in countless other ways to enable technologies that we could only dream of just decades ago.

Unsurprisingly, AI has also permeated the legal profession and poses no shortage of novel questions. As an in-house employment lawyer, I’ve analyzed the benefits and pitfalls of using AI in recruitment and hiring, and the concept of “overemployment,” where workers use generative AI to simultaneously work multiple full-time jobs.

While AI opens the door for incredible advances, it also presents serious potential to cause harm. Because the vast amounts of data that AI is trained on include human biases, AI can learn and perpetuate those biases when making decisions. Bias in AI has already impacted real people: in facial recognition systems disproportionately failing to accurately identify Black individuals, leading to false arrests; in recruitment and hiring tools demonstrating bias against applicants from historically excluded groups. It’s undeniably clear that bias in AI must be mitigated to prevent discriminatory outcomes and it will take a collective societal effort to realize this goal.

For years, AI has also been used to supplement human connection, and now companies are developing AI that will effectively replace human connection as the advanced AI will be difficult to distinguish from a human. The long-term impacts of an increase in human-like interactions with AI are unknown.

But I am growing concerned that, if we aren’t careful, the profound emotional bonds and shared humanity we form through genuine interactions with other humans are at risk of being overshadowed without regard for the consequences.

Personally, human connection has enriched my life, fostered empathy, and provided me with a sense of belonging. Many significant connections in my life were forged during my time as a law student at USF and throughout my legal career, and have left a lasting positive impact on me. Witnessing and experiencing the profound influence of human connections reinforces my belief in their value, and imagining a world with diminished human connection is disheartening.

As AI become increasingly prevalent, nurturing and prioritizing human connection becomes imperative if we want to preserve our shared humanity. The rules of professional conduct for lawyers demand that we remain abreast of the changes in the law, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technologies such as AI. But it is incumbent upon everyone to require human needs, values, and experiences to be at the forefront of AI development to ensure that technology enhances, rather than replaces, our ability to connect with each other. n Yuki Cruse ’15 is legal counsel, Americas Employment Law at Adobe, and serves as a member of the USF Law Board of Governors.

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The Koret Law Center 2130 Fulton Street San Francisco, CA 94117-1080

C H A N G E S E R V I C E R EQ U E S T E D

A former public defender, alumna Mary Jane Theis ‘74 was named Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court | Page 12

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